This was an intense one. I’m a true crime watcher/podcast listener, (though it often comes with mixed feelings about the genre at times) and I was highly intrigued by this book as a concept.

My brain has a need for understanding what motivates actions and choices and how investigators work to piece together a story from limited evidence available to them. ‘This Books Will Bury Me’ takes that a step further, following the narrative of a young women experiencing an unexpected loss who finds herself as part of a group of internet sleuths doing actual investigating of their own to assist solving crimes. It’s ‘found family’ at its most dysfunctional, which to an extent becomes very endearing and poignant. It also is highly thought provoking in consideration of how armchair detectives can influence a case and the lives of people involved, for better or worse.

There are some direct and some thinly veiled references to real cases, public figures, podcasts, and shows made throughout the book. The main mystery is clearly influenced by the Idaho college student murders. I’m always torn on how I feel about that kind of thing. In a way, it’s creating another piece of ‘entertainment’ out of the tragedy of real people. On the other hand, I felt like the book (intentionally or only in the way I consumed it) highlighted the way victims can get lost in the face of egos and entertainment. The whole narrative plays out in a unique and nuanced way that was as engaging as it was mind-bending.

All in all, this is probably the most invested I’ve felt in one of Ashley Winstead’s books. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...”

This is the premise for This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead. I will say that the premise is great and it had a lot of potential. I wasn’t sure at first where the story was going but then I figured out the main “bad guy” right away. It was not a surprise to me whatsoever and I’m not sure if it was meant to be or just the characters in the story weren’t supposed to figure it out. Jane was deeply mourning her father throughout the book and may have taken it a bit too far in a bad direction but in the end she made herself and him proud. I will say I felt like there was a lot going on in this book and it was longer than it needed to be, it was slow to start but picked up about halfway through. Overall 3 ⭐️ for me. Thank you for NetGalley and Sourcebooks landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
True Crime, Mystery
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book! I couldn’t put it down!! I am a huge fan of Ashley’s books. The wow factor is always there, and this one stands up to the others. It was like being in a real time true crime story.

College student Jane Sharp just lost her father. She doesn’t know what to do with herself. That’s when she hears about a murder near her hometown that sparks her interest. Jane starts digging and finds the world of true crime on the internet. Jane jumps right in and helps solve the case with the help of 4 other ameuter sleuths.

After solving this case the 5 of them become somewhat of a big deal in the true crime world. When 3 college girls are murdered the 5 of them realize they need to step it up and solve this case. But during the process they realize nothing is adding up.
This story is told from Jane’s point of view 1 year after the murders. Jane is about to shock us all.

Read if you like:
True Crime
Found family aspect
Web Sleuths

Ashley knows how to write a good ‘popcorn’ thriller and this one is no different. While I did find it a little slow in the beginning, the last half really makes up for it.

I have seen several reviews saying this book took several graphic details from an ongoing case in Idaho from 2022 and found that to be a bit insensitive. I am a true crime girlie, but to base a fiction book off of a case that isn’t even settled seems tactless. Moreover, the book comes out spring 2025 and the murderer goes on trial that same summer. It gave me a bit of the ICK after I found all of that out so I dropped the rating some.

I love Ashley Winstead’s books and The Last Housewife is one of my top recommended. I really enjoyed this new one and found it unputdownable. However, I was slightly confused as to why the real life details of the Idaho murders were pretty much copy pasted? I understand being inspired as that case is interesting and tragic, but why not put a fictional spin on it? It read a bit as true crime fan fiction but maybe that was the point. Either way, I recommend it!

LOVED THIS ONE. I absolutely love Ashley Winstead! She writes phenomenal thrillers AND romances! I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed by Midnight is the Darkest Hour. I loved The Housewife and In My Dreams I Hold a Knife.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a thriller surrounding 5 wanna-be internet sleuths trying to solve crimes all over the country — but can they do it without getting in trouble themselves?

This was a goodie from the Winstead camp! I would def say 4.5 rounded down because I guessed the twistyyyyy but her writing absolutely slays! Her characters are so easy to get in touch with and her stories are ones you can fall right into.

Pick this novel up in stores and online March 25, 2025! Big thanks to @bookmarked for the ARC! ✨

#netgalley #sourcebookslandmark #ashleywinstead #thisbookwillburyme #arc

The way I dropped *everything* I was doing when NetGalley granted me the wish of THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME by ASHLEY WINSTEAD!

It’s no secret that I live for an ASHLEY WINSTEAD book & have been anticipating the heck out of this one since I first heard her talking about it. I stayed up so far past my bedtime to devour it and loved every word!

We’ve got true crime + amateur sleuths + a tell-all + complicated grief + an unlikely found family + Heathers + obsession + a dash of Greek life + fame + infamy.

It’s everything 🙌🏻

Jane Sharp finds herself engrossed in the most famous crime in modern history. Everyone thinks they know the true story of what really happened in Idaho, but one year after the infamous crime, Jane decides to tell the shocking truth.

After her father’s unexpected death, the only place Jane finds solace, or purpose, is in a group of four fellow online armchair detectives. She sinks deeper into the dark and morbid world, finding she has a natural talent for crime solving.

When news breaks that three college girls were brutally murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her friends are determined to solve the case before any other true crime fanatics. Their obsession brings them together and as the media descends on Idaho and coverage reaches a fever pitch, the dangers surrounding the case escalate.

This book is such a fascinating exploration into the reality, the obsession and the dangers, of amateur sleuthing. It’s dark and powerful and filled with pain and warmth. Bringing justice and building a legacy and paying honor to those we’ve lost. It’s heavy and engrossing and a thoroughly entertaining page-turning thriller.

From the writing to the characters to the twists and reveals I was so invested in this story. ASHLEY WINSTEAD always infuses her books with so much emotion + moments of relatability + raw feelings. I loved the format + the footnotes + the dashes of humor. Can’t wait to tab and dog-ear this book when it hits shelves on 3/25/25.

Thank you to @netgalley & @bookmarked @ashleywinsteadbooks for my dream eARC.

Janeway Sharp, after the unexpected death of her father, is looking for a distraction and becomes obsessed with true crime and the online true crime forums. She quickly is invited into a small group who become her found family, and they teach her the ins and outs of armchair detective work.

When three college girls in Idaho are brutally murdered, the forums go crazy trying to solve the crime. Jane and her friends are right in the thick of it - but things take unexpected turns, and things aren't what they seem.

This book is well written, and although I suspected the twist before it happened, I was engrossed enough to finish in a few days. Very suspenseful, with a main character who is on-again off-again likable. Some of her decisions were maddening.

Although this is fiction and claims any similarity to real life is unintentional, I felt the details were too close to the real-life Idaho case, which has yet to be resolved. For that reason, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I hope the family members of the real-life victims never pick up this book.

I enjoyed the found family dynamic, the slow burn pacing, and the authentic way Jane's grief was written, as well as the crime forum conversations.

There is the closeness to the real-life Idaho case, and there are graphic murder scene descriptions, but I would recommend this book to those who love dark thrillers..
Expected publication March 25, 2025
Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-arc of this book

This Book Will Bury Me hooked me from the beginning and while the middle was a bit slow at times, I enjoyed reading through the twists and to the end. I felt like it wrapped up nicely. With that being said, there are two MAJOR problems with this book:

1. So much of it was super unrealistic. You can't honestly expect people to believe that internet sleuths' help is going to be welcomed and accepted by the FBI, right? And that they are going to be given special clearance... I'm not buying that.

2. And worse... I found it super gross that so many details about the case in this book were exact copies of the real life Moscow, Idaho murders case from 2022. I did not understand the reasoning for this, felt like it was insensitive to the families, and could have easily been avoided. I read an ARC of this novel and I can only hope the author will address this in some form in either the author's notes or acknowledgements at the end of the book OR (better yet) change these unnecessary details prior to publication.

I really wanted to like this book but simply cannot get past the straight-up copying of very recent real life murders that haven't even been to trial yet. For that, I'm giving 2.5 stars cautiously rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an e-ARC of this novel.

OH MY GOSH! Ashley Winstead is truly the best.. I LOVED this book! My heart was pounding and the true crime podcast piece was done SO well! Thank you netgalley!

Wow wow wow. This book absolutely blew me away and may be my favorite Winstead book yet. Or at least tied with The Last Housewife. The amount of depth that went into telling this story - amateur sleuths hunting a killer - was so well developed that I kept wanting to pick up the book. Any time a thriller is over 400 pages I worry that it will be too much filler. But nope! Each chapter had purpose and was organized. I loved how the format was set up with the FMC telling all in a book about what has transpired. Such a clever set up. And I suspected the one twist or maybe that was the whole point but it was so well crafted. Following along with the clues and how these sleuths hyper focus in dissecting information made we want to do a deep dive into reddit. And the found family - did not plan to absolutely adore this team of misfits. Mistress and Lightly are by far my favorites! I also thought the character development of Searcher/FMC was done so well. The focus on the impact of losing her father and how that shaped the entire book was so important.

One of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.

The Last Housewife: 5 stars
This Book Will Bury Me: 5 Stars
Midnight is the Darkest Hour: 4 stars
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife: 4 stars

This is going to be a bookstagram/booktok favorite for sure! I was obsessed with this book! I imagine it would make a great audiobook as well. I loved the way it was written. If I could wish for one thing, it would be to flesh out a little more the part about she who shall not be named and her accusations. Since that was the reason for the book I think it should’ve been discussed more

This Book will Bury Me is written for the true crime lover. It is engaging and fast-paced, and it reads like a true crime podcast. The twist was easy to guess, but still fun to watch unfold. There were some side plot lines I was not a fan of- grieving her dad’s death as she dives deep into the online true crime community. Most of it was entertaining, but I missed having a big shock moment. Definitely worth a read!

Thank you Netgalley and sourcebooks for the advance copy buuuut I will not be reading this. I should have done more research prior to requesting, but saw an author whose books I’ve enjoyed in the past and automatically requested. After reading the initial author’s blurb mentioning several true crime events “inspiring” (if you can even be inspired by that kind of thing) the plot for the book, and digging deeper into other reviews describing how the author used the Idaho murders in explicit gory detail, only changing the victim’s names for “respect”… it felt dirty to even consider reading this. This is a tragedy that has yet to see any closure or justice so to mimic it in a *fictional* novel feels sooooo very wrong to me.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a chilling and intricately woven psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final twist. Winstead’s sharp prose and keen insight into human nature create a tense and gripping atmosphere, with layers of secrets and lies gradually unraveling. The characters are flawed yet compelling, adding depth to the story's twists and turns. While the pacing falters slightly in the middle, the tension ramps up in the final act, delivering a satisfying and thought-provoking conclusion. A must-read for fans of dark, character-driven mysteries.

Her best book yet!!! I loved how the story was told in the form of a book as well as forum posts, it made everything so fun to follow! I was hooked from the very beginning and absolutely loved every minute of it. The characters were great and all interacted so well!

Reeling from the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp, unexpectedly falls in with an underground community of amateur sleuths investigating true crimes. When three college girls are mysteriously murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her friends dive into the investigation, determined to solve the case before anyone else. As they dig deeper, they uncover strange inconsistencies and begin to suspect the killer is far more dangerous and cunning than anticipated.

I was super intrigued by the premise of this book and I had high hopes until I started reading it and realized it was basically a take off of the Idaho Murders. The killer isn’t even locked away completely yet. It felt kind of wrong.
Also- it was a little slow, especially in the beginning and moving towards the middle.
I normally love Ashely’s books and find her super creative and she always holds my attention but this one was just too much. I’m not a super big true crime fan, so this was a bit outside my preferred genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the digital ARC of this new read from Ashley Winstead, coming out in March 2025!

This would have been a four star book but I docked a star for using too many components of a real crime case. This book talks a lot about true crime fans and the very thin line that can be crossed to become problematic. But then the author uses very distinct facts from a very recent and very public murder case and that rubbed me the wrong way. I get being inspired by true events and adding them into fictional stories and I think the author could have used less about the real case and still achieved the same story. Other than that I enjoyed this book. I loved the discussion about grief and how it can change a person.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending internet sleuths who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions, and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...

This book was definitely based off of the Moscow murders, some details almost to a tee (Queen vs King St, murder details, etc). With that being said, there is still more to this story outside of that murder, it’s just the main one that reels us in.

This book was very quick to read. The chapters were short and you wanted to read just one more. You’re kinda rooting for this group to catch the killer so I was Curious to get to the end

With that being said, I figured out “who dun it” pretty quickly, for one of the murders. It was a little obvious. However, I liked l the “twist” that never really gets 100% wrapped up in the end.

Overall, I would call it a popcorn thriller, where it’s quick, entertaining, but I wouldn’t say it’s a must read or you have to go buy it today. It’s a good rainy day, need a quick read type of book.